Smooth Criminal

"Smooth Criminal" is a song by the American singer Michael Jackson, released on November 14, 1988 as the seventh single from his seventh studio album, Bad (1987). It was written by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. The lyrics describe a woman who has been attacked in her apartment by a "smooth criminal".

The music video for "Smooth Criminal", which premiered internationally on MTV on October 13, 1988,<ref name="premiere" /> is the centerpiece of the 1988 film Moonwalker. The 1930s setting and Jackson's white suit and fedora pay tribute to the Fred Astaire musical comedy film The Band Wagon. In the video, Jackson and the dancers perform an apparently physically impossible "anti-gravity lean".

"Smooth Criminal" reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the sixth top-10 single from Bad.<ref name="awards">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It reached number two on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart. It was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It reached number one in Belgium, Iceland, the Netherlands, and Spain.

Retrospective reviews have praised "Smooth Criminal" as a standout track on Bad and one of Jackson's best songs.<ref name="RollingStone50">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Rolling Stone wrote that it was "his best blend of R&B groove and rock edginess, and a turning point in his shift toward darker, harder-edged material".<ref name="RollingStone50" /> It has appeared on numerous greatest hits albums and was performed on all of Jackson's solo tours. "Smooth Criminal" was re-released in 2006 as a single as a part of Jackson's Visionary: The Video Singles boxset. In 2001, a version by Alien Ant Farm became an international hit.

Composition

"Smooth Criminal" evolved from an earlier song written by Jackson, "Al Capone" (named after real life gangster Al Capone), released on the 2012 reissue Bad 25.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> It is in the key of A minor,<ref name="sheet">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Jackson's vocal spans from G₃ to C₆.<ref name="sheet" /> The lyrics describe a narrator who finds a bloodstained carpet and an unconscious body.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The chorus refrain, "Annie, are you OK?", was inspired by Resusci Anne, a dummy used in cardiopulmonary resuscitation training. Trainees learn to say "Annie, are you OK?" while practicing resuscitation on the dummy.<ref name="annie">Template:Cite news</ref> The original mix of the song includes the sound of Jackson's fast-thumping heart and heavy breathing, which travel from left to right thanks to Hugo Zuccarelli's Holophonics system.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Chart performance

"Smooth Criminal" peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the sixth top 10 single from Bad.<ref name="awards"/> It is certified 2× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and 2x platinum by the British Phonographic Industry.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The song reached number one in Belgium, Iceland, the Netherlands and Spain and the top 10 in Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland and the UK.

Music video

File:Smooth criminal video.jpg

Jackson performing the "anti-gravity lean" in the "Smooth Criminal" music video

Jackson asked Vincent Paterson to conceive a concept for the short film. Paterson listened to the unfinished song and came up with the concept of a 1930s gangster club.<ref>Michael Jackson's Private Home Movies, 2003</ref> Paterson, who was a lead dancer in the music videos for "Beat It" and "Thriller", co-choreographed the "Smooth Criminal" video with Jackson and Jeffrey Daniel of the soul music group Shalamar.Template:Citation needed The video and Jackson's white suit and fedora pay tribute to the Fred Astaire musical comedy film The Band Wagon, particularly the "Girl Hunt Ballet" (itself inspired by the novels of Mickey Spillane) scene.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> The video, directed by Colin Chilvers, was shot between mid-February and April 1987 at Culver City, California, and in the backlot at Universal Studios Hollywood<ref name="Every2">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="rollingstone.com2">Template:Cite magazine</ref> and premiered internationally on MTV on the night of October 13, 1988.<ref name="premiere">Template:Cite journal</ref>

In the video, Jackson and the other dancers perform a lean that appears physically impossible.<ref name=":02">Template:Cite news</ref> The dancers lean forward 45 degrees with their backs straight and feet flat on the floor, and hold the pose before returning upright.<ref name=":02" /> The lean moves the body's center of mass further than it can support.<ref name=":02" /> The illusion was achieved using cables and a harness.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":12">Template:Cite news</ref> In October 1993, Jackson's team patented a method of performing the lean in concert using specially designed shoes that hook into pegs that rise from the stage.<ref name=":02" /> Even with the shoes, the move requires good athletic core strength.<ref name=":12" />

The video won Best Music Video at the 1989 Brit Awards<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the Critic's Choice awarded Jackson the "Best Video" award and the People's Choice Awards for "Favorite Music Video" for that same year.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 2019, American television personality Kim Kardashian bought Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" fedora, which still had his makeup on it, for her daughter North West.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The style of clothing as well as mannerisms Jackson portrayed were reused in the numerous adaptations of the video game Michael Jackson's Moonwalker. The song serves as the background music for the "Club 30s" stage, the nightclub seen in the music video, that appears in the game.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The video is the centerpiece of the 1988 film Moonwalker.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

On October 23, 2024, the video achieved 1 billion views on YouTube, making it the fifth of Jackson's video to reach this milestone after "Billie Jean", "They Don't Care About Us", "Beat It" and "Thriller."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

File:Michael Jackson white fedora (Smooth Criminal), close up, Hard Rock Cafe, Nice.jpg

A fedora worn by Jackson while performing "Smooth Criminal", displayed at Hard Rock Cafe, Nice

Critical reception

Jason Elias of AllMusic wrote that "Smooth Criminal" was "a gorgeous and exhilarating record ... [it] presents Michael Jackson at his most captivating and it never fails to impress".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Rolling Stone named it the sixth best Jackson song, writing that it was "his best blend of R&B groove and rock edginess, and a turning point in his shift toward darker, harder-edged material."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In a retrospective review of Bad, Newsweek wrote: "[Smooth Criminal] is a sleek, exhilarating action sequence of a song that's unlike anything else in Jackson's catalog ... an urgent and inspired highlight. Bad is at its best when it explores the darker, more paranoid side that began to consume Jackson's life in the late '80s, and this song captures that impulse."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Entertainment Weekly wrote: "If there was one song on Bad that truly captured the sense of artistic freedom that Jackson felt after Thriller, it was this track ... This is pop music as suspense drama."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Track listings

• 7-inch single<ref name="tracklistings">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

1. "Smooth Criminal" (single mix) – 4:10
2. "Smooth Criminal" (instrumental) – 4:10

• 12-inch maxi and CD-maxi<ref name="tracklistings"/>

1. "Smooth Criminal" (extended dance mix) – 7:46
2. "Smooth Criminal" (extended dance mix radio edit) – 5:20
3. "Smooth Criminal" ("Annie" mix) – 5:35
4. "Smooth Criminal" (dance mix – dub version) – 4:45
5. "Smooth Criminal" (a cappella) – 4:12

• Visionary single<ref name="tracklistings"/>

CD side:

1. "Smooth Criminal" – 4:10
2. "Smooth Criminal" (extended dance mix) – 7:45

DVD side:

1. "Smooth Criminal" (music video (Shortened Version)) – 4:11

• Cassette single<ref name="tracklistings"/>

1. "Smooth Criminal"
2. "Smooth Criminal" (instrumental)

• 3-inch CD single<ref name="tracklistings"/>

1. "Smooth Criminal" (extended dance mix) – 7:46
2. "Smooth Criminal" ("Annie" mix) – 5:35
3. "Smooth Criminal" (dance mix – dub version) – 4:45

• Japanese 3-inch CD single<ref name="tracklistings"/>

1. "Smooth Criminal"
2. "Smooth Criminal" (instrumental)

Personnel

Adapted from single liner notes and Michael Jackson's website.<ref name="mj_davidwilliams">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2

• Michael Jackson – vocals
• Bill Bottrell – drum machine
• Bruce Swedien – police announcement
• David Williams – electric guitar
• Kim Hutchcroft – saxophone
• Larry Williams – saxophone
• Gary Grant – trumpet

• Jerry Hey – trumpet and horn arrangement
• Kevin Maloney – muted piano
• Christopher Currell – Synclavier
• Denny Jaeger – Synclavier
• Michael Rubini – Synclavier
• John Barnes – synthesizer
• Michael Boddicker – synthesizer
• Dr. Eric Chevlen – heartbeat recording

Charts

Weekly charts

Template:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chart

1988Template:Ndash1989 weekly chart performance for "Smooth Criminal"

Chart (1988–1989)	Peak position
Denmark (IFPI)<ref>Danish Singles Chart 13 January 1989</ref>	5
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	5
Finland (Suomen virallinen singlelista)<ref name = "Finland">Template:Cite book</ref>	1
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 10)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1
Ireland (IRMA)<ref name="IRL">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }} Only results when searching "Smooth criminal"</ref>	4
Italy (Musica e dischi)<ref name = "MandD">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }} Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Michael Jackson".</ref>	10
Spain (AFYVE)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	1
UK Singles (OCC)<ref name="UK">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	8
US Billboard Hot 100<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	7
US Hot Dance Club Play (Billboard)<ref name="awards" />	10
US Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard)<ref name="awards" />	13
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles (Billboard)<ref name="awards" />	2
US CHR/Pop (Radio & Records)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	8

Template:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chart

2006 weekly chart performance for "Smooth Criminal"

Chart (2006)	Peak position
Ireland (IRMA)<ref name="IRL"/>	14
UK Singles (OCC)<ref name="UK"/>	19

Template:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chart

2009 weekly chart performance for "Smooth Criminal"

Chart (2009)	Peak position
Canada (Hot Canadian Digital Singles)<ref name="awards" />	22
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100 Singles)<ref>Template:BillboardURLbyName</ref>	20
France (SNEP) Download Chart<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	10
UK Singles (OCC)<ref name="UK"/>	13
UK Download (CC)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }} Template:Dead link</ref>	13
US Hot Digital Songs (Billboard)<ref name="awards" />	12

Template:Single chart

2016 weekly chart performance for "Smooth Criminal"

Chart (2016)	Peak position

2024 weekly chart performance for "Smooth Criminal"

Chart (2024)	Peak position
Kazakhstan Airplay (TopHit)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	79

Monthly charts

2024 monthly chart performance for "Smooth Criminal"

Chart (2024)	Peak position
Kazakhstan Airplay (TopHit)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	97

Year-end charts

Chart (1988)	Position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	73
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	50
Netherlands (Single Top 100)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	43
UK Singles (OCC)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	79

Chart (1989)	Position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	70
US Billboard Hot 100<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	93
US Hot Black Singles (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	58
West Germany (Media Control)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	57

Alien Ant Farm version

In May 2001, the American rock band Alien Ant Farm released a "funky metallic"<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> cover of "Smooth Criminal" as the second single from their second studio album, Anthology (2001). According to the singer, Dryden Mitchell, the band would play a few riffs of the song while warming up before gigs and audience members would request the entire song.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The cover became a number-one hit on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and was also a number-one hit in Australia for eight weeks. In Europe, it reached number three in the United Kingdom and charted within the top 10 in 10 other countries. Alien Ant Farm's 1999 album Greatest Hits includes a hidden track named "Slick Thief", which is an early version of "Smooth Criminal".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Mitchell said he came to resent how popular the cover was, and did not want to perform it, thinking: "We're a better band than just this song." However, he accepted that fans wanted to hear it and decided he was being immature. He described it as a "fun party song" like the Beastie Boys' "Fight for Your Right".<ref name=":0" />

Music video and reaction from Jackson

The music video was directed by Marc Klasfeld and shot in San Fernando, California.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It features the band performing in a wrestling ring, and in front of a suburban house. The video also references various Jackson music videos and elements of his personal life, including the original "Smooth Criminal" video, Jackson's Moonwalk, and his pet chimp Bubbles.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Before its release, Alien Ant Farm sent the video to Jackson for his approval. At his request, they reshot some scenes to remove a child wearing a surgical mask, a reference to how Jackson wore them in public to cover cosmetic surgeries. However, Jackson decided he preferred the video with the mask. Reflecting on the video in 2022, Mitchell said, "We went through quite a bit of money and bullshit to make sure that we were appeasing Michael Jackson."<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Track listings

Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2 UK CD single<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>

1. "Smooth Criminal"
2. "Orange Appeal"
3. "Denigrate"
4. "Smooth Criminal" (CD-ROM video)

UK cassette single<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>

1. "Smooth Criminal"
2. "Denigrate"

European CD single<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>

1. "Smooth Criminal" (album version)
2. "Orange Appeal"

Template:Col-2 European maxi-CD single<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>

1. "Smooth Criminal" (album version)
2. "Movies"
3. "Denigrate" (non-LP version)
4. "Smooth Criminal" (video)

Australian CD single<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>

1. "Smooth Criminal" (album version)
2. "Orange Appeal"
3. "Denigrate" (non-LP version)
4. "Smooth Criminal" (video)

Charts

Weekly charts

Template:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chart

Chart (2001)	Peak position
Canada (BDS)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	15
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	6
Ireland (IRMA)<ref name="IRL"/>	2

Year-end charts

Chart (2001)	Position
Australia (ARIA)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	8
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	61
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	24
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	55
Canada Radio (Nielsen BDS)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	90
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	31
Germany (Media Control)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	43
Ireland (IRMA)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	17
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	40
Netherlands (Single Top 100)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	42
Sweden (Hitlistan)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	48
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	39
UK Singles (OCC)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	32
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	78
US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	8

Chart (2002)	Position
Australia (ARIA)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	60
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	143

Decade-end charts

Chart (2000–2009)	Position
Australia (ARIA)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	48

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Template:Abbr
United States	May 22, 2001	Alternative radio	DreamWorks	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Europe	August 20, 2001	Template:Hlist		<ref name="dove">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
United States	August 21, 2001	Contemporary hit radio		<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
United Kingdom	September 17, 2001	Template:Hlist		<ref name="dove"/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Australia	October 15, 2001	CD		<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref>

Other covers

Croatian duo 2Cellos performed the song in a viral YouTube video.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> Jean Rodríguez sang lead vocals for Tony Succar's Latin-flavored version of "Smooth Criminal", from the album Unity: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson (2015), including a section in Spanish.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> A video of their 2016 performance at the offices of Sirius XM went viral.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref>